In addition to this, customers can search at home a database of millions books, CD's, DVDs, videos, software, video games, lawn products and even a pan for your kitchen. If you find the item you want, just add it to the shopping cart and then is needed to fill out an online form to specify the type of payment, shipment characteristics and even if it's a gift, the type and color of wrapping paper. Also today it is possible to access used and collectible items through their zShops and Amazon Commerce Network (ACN)2 or going to Amazon Auctions or sothebys.amazon.com.
The first of the products offered by Amazon.com were books, as we early noted, starting in July 1995. Then music and DVD/Video were added in 1998. In March 1999, they introduced Amazon.com Auctions including today sothebys.amazon.com and zShops. Other retailing businesses in development are electronics, toys, home improvement, software and video games (see Figure-1). This broader spectrum of products and services is related with the company goal of being the most customer-centric firm where customers can find and buy anything they may want on line.
Industry and Growth Policy Overview.
Amazon.com is rated as a company in the Internet software and services industry into the technology sector. The most important competitors for Amazon.com are E-Bay (on-line auctions and retail sales), Barnes and Noble (books sales and other products) and CDnow (on-line music retailer). In general, financial results for the Internet Company's sector are like Amazon's with some exceptions3. One of the main characteristics of this sector is that almost all companies show strong revenues and increasing losses. .
Since 1998, Amazon.com started an aggressive expansion policy sustained by the extraordinary amount of resources obtained from the huge market capitalization of the company. This situation allowed Amazon.com to acquire several small and medium Internet companies in order to support the process of forming a technological and customer base for future operations.
